Greg Sanders
Gregory "Greg" Sanders is a Crime Scene Investigator at the Las Vegas Crime Lab. He is a Level 3 CSI. Early Life Greg is part Norwegian, which was revealed in season 3, episode 3 (Let the Seller Beware) Greg has mentioned on several occasions his grandfather, whom he affectionately calls 'Papa Olaf.' He also mentions his Nana Olaf in season 6, episode 19 (Spellbound). She apparently possessed psychic powers, and his family believes that Greg may have inherited this ability from her. Greg Sanders grew up in San Gabriel, California. Although friends told him that science was for geeks, Greg knew that he wanted to become a scientist. In Coming of Rage (season 4 episode 10), we find out that he had a palate expander, braces, a retainer, and head gear while growing up. Although he was never good at sports, Greg was the captain of the high school chess team. (Primum Non Nocere) In Fannysmackin' (season 7 episode 4), Greg reveals that his overprotective mother refused to let him play sports in high school because he was her only child. Greg stated that his mother wanted four children, but only got one. Greg successfully managed to juggle studying and extra-curriculars and eventually went on to earn his degree in chemistry from Stanford University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa. In "Fannysmackin'," Greg saves a tourist from a beating at the hand of a gang of youths, only to be dragged from his vehicle and beaten himself. At the hospital, Greg confesses to Grissom that though his mother had wanted four children, he is her only one. Because of this, she was very protective of him as a child and forbade him to participate in sports activities. Greg had not told his parents about moving out of the lab out into the field because he did not want them to needlessly worry about him. He is worried about what they would say to him, but Grissom reassures him that they would be proud of him for saving a man's life. Personality Greg could be considered the most "normal" member of the CSI team. He's always smiling, he remains somewhat optimistic and he maintains a lot of interests aside from his Crime Lab work (he listens to Marilyn Manson while running lab machines and hides porn magazines in some area cabinets). This is most likely due to his youth; he hasn't been fully subjected to the horrors of this job like the rest of the team. He is also not concerned with the financial aspect of a job -- just the joy that it brings. As of season 9 episode 9, 19 Down, Greg has been promoted to CSI level 3. From the official CSI: Crime Scene Investigation novels, written by Max Allan Collins, the seventh installation into the novel series- Killing Game, we learn that Greg was a child prodigy. He got his first lab kit at the age of seven. Excerpt from the book, page 114, lines six - 11: " A precocious kid who'd started matriculating a year early, he went from public school, where he regularly blew through tests, to an academy that at least presented him a more significant challenge; then Greg had gone on to Stanford before spending two years as a lab tech at the San Francisco PD. " Then from the same book, at page 117, lines 12 - 18: " Through most of his life, Greg had fought the prodigy's natural urge to rush through things. A lot of school, especially high school, had been painfully easy for him. He would wait until the night (or even the morning) before class to do his homework. This habit had stayed with him, though the lab had nullified that somewhat. " He has a wide variety of hobbies, including surfing, scuba diving, and numismatics (the study of money - in the episode Precious Metal his knowledge of the subject helps the investigation along). In Precious Metal we also learn Greg likes supermodels and latex. In one episode (season 3 episode 22 Play With Fire) he was involved in a lab explosion, which he survived. In another episode (season 7 episode 4 Fannysmackin') he is severely injured after he risks his life to save a tourist being beaten to death by a gang of teenage thrill seekers. He later tells Gil Grissom that he has kept his promotion to CSI a secret from his parents because he didn't want to worry them. Grissom tells Greg his mother will be proud of him for saving a man's life. In a later episode (season 7 episode 7 Post Mortem) Greg's split-second decision to run over one of the men threatening the tourist is found to be "excusable." The man's family disagrees with the verdict and serves Greg with a civil suit. Greg is also notable for his ever-changing hairstyles. Early Seasons He started out as the resident lab rat, sitting quietly in his lab working away on the loads of evidence and DNA the CSIs brought in, usually responsible for making discoveries about pieces of evidence that would crack a case open. Eventually Greg grew tired of the lab and longed for a position out in the field. He failed his first test when he urinated in a toilet at a crime scene, but eventually attained the rank of CSI level one. At his low rank, he mostly only assists at crime scenes, collecting evidence and helping the more experienced CSIs. He rarely interviews suspects. However, he later graduated to investigating crime scenes on his own. In Fannysmackin' (season 7 episode 4), Greg celebrated over dinner with the female district attorney after his testimony at a jury trial helped put away a criminal. David Hodges' character has been somewhat expanded since Gregs promotion, and he now seems to fill the role of lab rat on the show that Greg once held. Relationships Early on in the show, Greg had a huge crush on Sara Sidle, which may or may not have disappeared. However the two remain close friends, as Sara was Greg's mentor through his training and continues to offer him helpful hints. * Grissom and Greg * Catherine and Greg * Sara and Greg * Warrick and Greg * Nick and Greg In "A Kiss Before Frying", he is smitten with a woman, who says that she is a fourth grade science teacher, during a tour of the crime lab. He shortly asks for her phone number and a date. Later, he sees her looking through his files, which have a picture of a van that may have been included in a crime scene that the CSIs were investigating. Soon, he finds out that the woman is actually a Burlesque dancer who is a suspect of recent murders that link to an old crime case. It creates conflict for all the CSIs, especially Nick, who first encouraged Greg to go out with her. The murder victims were the grandchildren of the Jewish-American gangsters that killed the woman's grandparents. Greg is at shot shortly, after the woman calls him from a diner. Rita Von Squeeze, the woman, used an alibi, Ellen Whitebridge, get arrested with the help of Catherine Willows, who denies suspending Greg. She gives him advice on falling for and dating that wrong person. She tells him, "to inform her if he ever falls for the next woman", because she will have "an eye on the rotten ones." Trivia *Owns a Dreamcast *Likes merlot and rack of lamb *Once lived in New York *Knows how to fold an Origami crane *Enjoys Blue Hawaiian Coffee *Has seen the movie Pulp Fiction-- 'Friends and Lovers' *Attended Stanford University *Likes surfing and scuba diving *Was born with perfect eyesight *Captain of the high school chess squad *Likes Pink (singer-songwriter) *Listens to Marilyn Manson *His ringtone is "Feel Like Makin' Love" *He's into latex *Likes fashion models *Has a coin collection *A Los Angeles Dodgers fan *Wore Doc Martens in high school and thinks that skinheads' enthusiasm for that style "kinda ruined it for the rest of us." (Fannysmackin') *According to the CSI novel Binding Ties(which is most likely non-canonical), he has seen at least one of the the Evil Dead' movies *In season 7, it is revealed that he wrote a book on the Las Vegas mobs. In the episode "For Gedda", Greg told Catherine that his book was done and he was due to fly out to LA for meetings with 3 different publishers. In the episode "For Warrick", Catherine called Greg on his way to the airport and told him Warrick was dead. Greg then headed back to the lab and never got on the plane. His book was never mentioned since. Quotes Nick: What up Einstein? Oh you got anything there? Greg: You think Einstein had people hovering over his shoulders all the time? If he did, do you think that we'd be walking around with E=MC squared T-shirts? //Nick leans over his shoulder// Greg: '''Would you step back? Just give me some breathing room,and maybe I'll tell you something about the silver sliver that Grissom found on sandbox girls back. '''Nick: '''It's all yours. '''Greg: Let's see what the library has to say. Tempered steel with Aluminum coating. Nick: Maybe she was chained up. Greg: If she was, she was wearing something pretty funky. Nick: She was in the raw. Greg: In a manner of speaking. You remember that sparkly stuff that Grissom Got off her body? Nick: Yeah. Greg: Yeah I broke it down. Tree sap, ammonia and water. Nick: Sounds like Frat house gravy. Greg: '''Liquid Latex. '''Nick: Never heard of it. Greg: Really? It's all the craze right now man. Girls paint it on guys, guys paint it on girls. You can paint it on yourself if you want. If that's what you're into, can't get a date. Nick: '''I got it. '''Greg: '''Like I would know. '''Nick: Sure. --- Grissom: Greg, how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie pop? Greg: The world may never know. Warrick: Just see if you can get some DNA off of this stick would you? Greg: All work and no play make Greg a dull boy Grissom: All play and no work make Greg an unemployed boy. --- Greg: Could have been a rock star. Grissom: There's still time Greg. Tell us about the foriegn substance we found in the victims wound tract. Greg: Well, you like to rub it all over a ladys body, even better.. I ugh, like it when she rubs it all over me. And it's also used as a stool softener. Catherine: '''It's also the only open lead in our case, spit it out Greg. '''Greg: Mineral oil. Grissom: Possibly used as a preservative to prevent rusting of high carbon steel. Catherine: Like the blades of knives? Greg: '''Old knives, new ones are made from stainless steel. Like a sponge I just absorb information. '''Grissom: I thought that was my line. Greg: Yeah and I absorbed it. Catherine: Okay, so knives, screwdriver, ice pick, letter opener were looking for a weapon with a splash of mineral oil. I'll grab the ALS. Greg: An ALS for mineral oil? Grissom: Mineral oil flourecences at 525 nanometers when filtred from a KV590. A little more absorbing, a little less rock 'n' roll. --- *Gil Grissom: Where's your enthusiasm? :Greg Sanders: Whenever I find a match in here, my world gets a little smaller. Out there I felt large. *Gil Grissom: Out there means a pay cut. :Greg Sanders: I'm not about the money. *Greg Sanders: But, you know, what I need to know is what's on the inside? :Nick Stokes: Oh, what's in her heart? :Greg Sanders: No... her DNA. And let me tell you, this girl has got some fine epithelials. :Nick Stokes: laughing Dude, you're sick. Man, you've officially lost it! :Greg Sanders: No, no. There is this guy in Louisville. He charges 300 clams to test your spouse's underwear for foreign DNA. Now, that guy is sick. I'm just a romantic. :Nick Stokes: But whatever happened to getting to know someone over coffee, letting the relationship evolve? Romantic is sending flowers, not bogarting her skin cells. :Greg Sanders: Ahh, that's boring. *Gil Grissom: Hey, Sanders, no punk rock. :Greg Sanders: What about Black Flag? :Gil Grissom: (thinking he means the insecticide) Are you nuts? *Greg Sanders: This clinic is like the Hotel California. You can check in anytime you like but you might never leave. (after Greg is squirted with human fluid from a car trunk, some of which ends up in his mouth) :Sara: Technically, that makes you a cannibal. :(pause)Sara: Grissom would be proud. :Greg:Grissom would have tasted it on purpose. *'Bodies in Motion', Season 6. :(Gil Grissom hands Greg Sanders a specimen jar). :Greg Sanders: What's this for? :Gil Grissom: It's a urine specimen jar Greg, what do you think. :Greg Sanders: This is some kind of CSI hazing. (Walking away) Make me appreciate blood and semen more. :(Greg Sanders returns). :Gil Grissom: That took a while? :Greg Sanders: Well, I'm not a soda fountain. :Gil Grissom: Well you're gonna need to be (hands a bucket to Greg) because I'm gonna need a number two, as soon as possible. :(Greg leaves and then returns.) :Gil Grissom: I think you need a prostate exam. :Greg Sanders: My prostate is just fine. *Gil Grissom: Make sure you check out these skid marks. *Walks away* ::Greg Sanders: *Snickers* He said skid marks. *'A Bullet Runs Through It, Part 1', Season 6. ("After smelling Sara when she was working with 'Body Soup'.") "...You smell like death. ::("pause") You know, a real man wouldn't mind." *"I know what you all think of me, that I'm just a pretty face and that I just got to where I am by sleeping with Catherine." --- Nick: You beeped me from across the hall? : Greg: Uh yeah. I waved, you didnt look up. --- Greg: I know guys who can go four days in a row on a single pair of tighty-whiteys. :Catherine:'''Thanks for putting that picture in my head. --- '''Greg: I've got to warn you, mouth swabs don't always read. Vaginal swabs? No problem. Anal swabs? Money. Nick: Anal swabs? Greg: Anal swabs. --- Greg: I am the man Warrick: Why? What'd you do? Let me guess, you ran a DNA profile on the blood from the dead guy's knuckles and got a match? Greg: No. Grissom: You ran a DNA profile and something very distinctive popped up? Greg: Not quite. Warrick: You made it out of bed and you dressed yourself? Greg: ...No. --- Greg: We have a problem. Warrick: Pile it on. Greg: '''Well, in the interest if prosperity I took it upon myself to establish provinence for the killers gloves, I mean DNA wise, on my own time of course of which I have precious little, so that should count for something. '''Grissom: '''Greg, why are you always doing this? '''Greg: Because you make me nervous. References Category:CSI: Las Vegas Characters Category:Males Category:Crime Lab Personnel